Insight - In eastern Syria oil smugglers benefit from chaos

Powerful Sunni Muslim tribes have deployed armed fighters around oil production facilities and pipelines that have fallen under their control and set up smuggling and trade deals, according to sources in the province including rebels, an oil company employee and people with ties to the tribes.
Deir al-Zor is critical to Syrian oil output that has more than halved in the past two years of fighting. The hijacking of the oil industry by tribes complicates Western efforts to help the Syrian opposition fund itself and will make any future reconstruction even more difficult.
"Each tribe now... read more

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Good morning, this is Eleanor Ainge Roy bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Friday 9 February.
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